1st Birthday Party Ideas

Planning a First Birthday Party

Before we start talking about 1st Birthday Party Ideas, let me mention from a mom who did it "all" for my daughter's first birthday, I'm here to tell you that you don't need to do it all. In fact, very little really since they won't even remember it. But if like me the thought of planning your child’s 1st birthday excites you to no end and you have to do it all or at least some part of all……then here we go! Celebrating your child's 1st birthday is that one birthday that is usually reserved for family and friends (since your child is probably not going to have a great group of friends .......yet). Because this is usually a family affair you may have guests with a variety of ages. This will be important when we're planning party favors, activities, food, etc. Or it might be a birthday with just a handful of toddlers at a park. Do what feels right for you and your child. It’s a good idea to invite the parents of your young guests as well for multiple reasons. It's a great time to get to know eachother better AND they will keep an eye on their child so less stress for you.

Before looking at 1st birthday party ideas, decide what kind of party you want. Normally we might ask the child what kind of party they want but because their turning 1, this time and probably only this time will you have your say.

The party should be something your child will enjoy, although at this age, running around, falling down, getting up and running around again is thrilling enough. They’re so happy to be free and out of those strollers, walkers and high chairs, that this alone can be your entertainment (but we do have some real ideas for entertainment coming up).

Does your child have a favorite show or character? What character or show makes your child scream with excitement? When my daughter was 1 1/2 years old we went to Disney World and as we approached the entrance she started screaming with delight "Kiki Kiki" (baby talk for Mickey). So of course her 2nd birthday was a Mickey Mouse birthday.

If your child shows excitement towards some character or some show; that's a good place to start forming and idea for a birthday party theme. Otherwise, knowing who you will invite can help you decide if you want to have the party in your backyard or perhaps a picnic at the park or at a child’s party place. The possibilities for 1st birthday party ideas are endless. Think about who you will be inviting and if you want entertainment, what would you like it to be.

My eldest daughter's birthday was The Little Mermaid theme so we celebrated her first birthday at the Seaquarium because they made it easy for us (If you want to read about the big mistake, visit our About Page here). The way their venue worked was that we would bring our supplies (tablecloths, plates, etc.) a few days before and they did all the set up so when you arrived the party area was ready to go. The other reason we chose this party location was because they provided built-in entertainment. There were 4 different aquatic shows and opportunities to feed some of the animals, like the manatee. When deciding on 1st Birthday party ideas, smaller is usually better. At this age, after and hour or two they usually start to get cranky. So think it terms of 1 to 2-hour parties. 2-hour parties are good for accommodating varying nap times because it allows early nappers to come later and late nappers to leave early. That's just long enough time for little ones to have fun!

1st Birthday Party Ideas

Venues(Locations)

Gymboree
My Gym
At Home
Park
Petting Farm
Mommy & Me Locations
Children's Museum
Attraction Park (Seaquarium)
Indoor Play Centers
Kiddie Water Park
Local Kids Party Places

Party Theme Ideas

There are many 1st birthday party ideas and below are just some of the more popular ones. Remember that many of themes come in baby characters (for example Baby Mickey)
1st Birthday Theme
Airplane
Angelina Ballerina
Baby Disney Princess
Baby Looney Tunes
Baby Einstein
Baby Shark
Baby Owl
Blues Clues
Bubble Guppies
Butterfly
Care Bears
Carnival
Carousel
Cars
Cat in the Hat
Circus
Clifford
Construction
Curious George
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
Dinosaur
Disney Princess
Doc McStuffins
Dora
Dr. Seuss
Elena of Avalor
Elephant
Elmo
Fairy
Fancy Nancy
Farm Animals
Firefighter
Fisher Price
Goldie & Bear
Goodnight Moon
Handy Manny
Jungle Animals
Ladybug
Little Lumberjack
Little Mermaid
Max and Ruby
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Minnie Mouse
Monkey
Muppet Babies
Narwhal
Nautical
Nursery Rhymes
Olivia
Paw Patrol
Peppa Pig
Peter Rabit
Pirates
PJ Masks
Princess
Puppy Dog Pals
Safari Animals
Seasonal
Sesame Street
Sofia the First
Storybook
Superhero
Team Umizoomi
Teletubbies
Thomas the Tank
T.O.T.S. (Disney)
Unicorn
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Winnie the Pooh
Wonder Pets

Decorations

Once you have decided on your party theme you can use the colors and the concept of your party theme to decorate. For example: If your theme is Little Mermaid, you can decorate with a "pretend" Under the Sea setting by having a bubble machine and hanging blue balloons from the ceiling and twirled streamers on gthe wall (seaweed). In this theme there are so many bright and beautiful colors that there are many possible combinations. But for others, you can find your color scheme for your chosen theme by looking at the themed party supplies (especially the plates and napkins) and at the cartoon to get ideas. 3 colors seem to work best (not too busy or too plain).

Entertainment Ideas

There are many fun things to do with 1 year olds, include any of the following for a wonderful time.

Foam Building Blocks
Bubbles
Balls
Music Games
Sidewalk Chalk
Coloring Pages and Clunky crayons
Playdough
Finger-Painting
Sprinklers (careful with the sprinkler heads)
Musical Chairs
Parachute Games
Ball Pit (can use small inflatable pool with balls)
Wagon Rides

Party Food Ideas

Always check with parents about any possible allergies

Fresh Fruit Cups
Veggie Sticks with dressing
Goldfish
Pasta
Bagel with Cream Cheese
PB & J Sandwiches
Animal Crackers
Cheerios
Juice Boxes
Water
Ice Cream
Cake

Milestone Monthly Baby Stickers

Can't rememeber when you took that special photo? Now you can capture your beautiful baby and know how old they were. This set comes with 12 circles in 2 sizes and 2 other planner-size sets to keep organized. Grab these free milestone monthly stickers (print on sticker paper) to use month ater month for the first year.

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